The Little Things About Him
by Kuriketto
Summary: Love story in progress with Bolt and Mittens. Bolt explores his feelings and relationship with Mittens. The two fall in love while he tries to show how much he cares for her, but being a dog and a cat, what struggles will they face and how far are they willing to go for their love?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"Hey Mittens." The white shepherd found the cat stretching in her bed located next to the sofa in the living room. It was a warm, late summer morning and sun was out bright and early.

"Good morning, Bolt," she yawned before beginning to groom herself.

"I uh, need to ask you something-" he hesitated. Mittens caught him looking down at his paws while he sat. Just then, they heard Penny calling for Bolt.

"Come on, Bolt! We need to get to the studio. We're going to be late!"

Only then, he finally looked at her in the eyes, "-after I get back tonight."

"Uh, okay," she gave him a soft smile, "don't forget."

Penny called again. "Right," he said, "see you later, Mittens."

_Strange_, the cat thought, _he seemed hesitant. I wonder…_

* * *

Bolt felt preoccupied with his thoughts the whole day. He actually ended up missing some of his marks at the studio because he was so distracted. His plan was to ask Mittens to get it over with, but he psyched himself out of it. Now it was going to bother him for the rest of the day, not that it wasn't bothering him all week already.

* * *

Bolt sat outside on the front porch staring up at the moon, lost in his divided thoughts. A part of him was hiding from Mittens or at least hoping she had forgotten by now that he was going to ask her something. He felt silly and stupid for even thinking about it and still kept trying to talk himself out of it. Yet, at the same time, another part of him kept telling himself to just ask her. He didn't have much to lose. Either way, he didn't understand why he was so discombobulated with all of this.

"Bolt?" A voice surprised him and caused him to jump. He was so deep into his thoughts he didn't even hear the cat approach him.

"H-hey Mittens. You startled me." He turned to look at her and saw her grin and laugh softly.

"Why? It's just me," she joked. "How was the studio today?"

Bolt breathed out a brief feeling of relief. Maybe she did forget. "It was okay."

"Just 'okay'? There must have been _something_ that was interesting. Hey, that reminds me, what did you want to ask me tonight?"

Bolt suddenly felt his heart beat faster as he had a mini panic attack. "Oh, I… uh-". He looked looked down to his paws. He didn't have a backup plan for this. What does he do? Should he just ask her? Was he going to make something else up? He failed to think of anything on the spot. Suddenly, he realized he was taking too long to make a decision and he probably looked like an idiot anyway just sitting there and not saying anything.

"Well? What is it?" Mittens couldn't help smiling as she knew he was hesitating again, whatever it was he wanted to ask.

He looked up again with a slight frown. "It's nothing."

"Oh, come on. I know you're lying, Bolt. I promise I won't get mad," she tried encouraging him. _What is it that can be so hard to ask?_

"Well…" It looks like there was no way out of it now. "Will you…-" he paused when he tried looking in her eyes. He felt himself lost in her gaze and then he realized he couldn't look at her while he asked. He looked down to his paws again. "-go on a… date with me?" He only then realized how fast his heart was beating, and he was sure he was blushing. He stopped breathing as he suddenly forgot how while he waited for the cat to respond. Then he heard Mittens giggling to herself.

"You dumb dog," she rushed up to hug him, wrapping her arms around his neck. She squeezed in tightly to him and it took Bolt a few seconds to realize he should hug back. He felt slightly out of it, but he hugged back tightly, wrapping his arms under hers. He wasn't sure what he was feeling, but it felt amazing, unlike anything he felt before.

"Of course, I'll go on a date with you. But, why ask now? I mean we see each other every day already and we already do a lot of things together."

"I know, but…" The dog hesitated again and Mittens hated it.

"Why are you so scared to tell me things sometimes?" She teased. "You should just always tell me what's on your mind."

"It's just… you mean a lot to me Mittens and I want to show you how special you are to me." Mittens suddenly felt herself blushing.

"Well," she whispered, "I can't wait then."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Bolt watched the human children chase each other around the small playground as he walked by. But then he spotted a little girl trip and fall into the woodchip flooring. She stayed on her knees and began to cry, which stopped him in his tracks. He hesitated and looked around, about to go check on her, but she was soon comforted by an older woman, presumably her mother.

He continued on his endless trek through the park, which was already his second time passing the same playground. After thinking about it, he realized he didn't have many memories of his own puppyhood. He didn't know his parents or any of his kin, which didn't really bother him because pups don't spend too much time with their mothers to get attached to them. Instead, they find a person to be cared for and loved by. He spent all his time with Penny and it just so happen she was starting a lead role in a TV show when he was first adopted. When the director met Penny, he saw the unbreakable relationship the two had. They hired a professional dog trainer who studied Bolt and worked closely with the director on a plan, and thus, Bolt the superdog was created.

He was misled for the sake of a company that just wanted to make money, but in a way, he was glad with how things ended up in the end. He loves what he does now and by a strange course of events, he was able to meet Mittens too.

The sudden thought of the cat reminded him why he came to the park in the first place. He needed to think and he rather enjoyed walking through the park. The fresh air from the lake cleared his head and allowed him to hear his thoughts better, but the cool air didn't help him today as he struggled to think of what to do for his date with Mittens. He never did anything like this before and he had only just learned how to be a normal dog too. Oddly enough, he never experienced these feelings before either and they only resonate when he's with Mittens. He didn't even really know why he was so attracted to the black cat, but he was determined to figure these feelings out.

As he followed the path that led out of the woods, he only just noticed how late it was getting. The sun began to sink below the horizon of the lake. A hanging wooden bench sat on the shore of the lake, watching over the calm lake. He spotted a pair of humans sitting on it, curious; he snuck as close as could and hid behind a tree a few feet behind them.

They seemed older than Penny, but not by too much. One was a boy, the other a girl. He watched as he pulled her closer to him by the shoulder. She proceeded to rest her head on his shoulder while they both just watched the sun set, not even saying a word. What were they thinking? And why weren't they talking? He was about to leave, when finally the boy broke the silence.

"Hey," he turned his head to whisper in the girl's ear, "do you love me?"

"Yes," she paused and turned to look at him, "I do."

He scoffed softly. "Good because I love you, too."

Bolt watched, wide-eyed and in awe, as the two got closer and kissed each other on the lips with their eyes closed. He had never kissed anyone before. He would occasionally get one from Penny sometimes, but those would be on his cheek or forehead. It got him thinking, what was it like? Could he… no, he couldn't. He tried to not to finish that thought, but it continued to linger in his mind even though he tried to repress it. At least he knew where he was going to take Mittens now.

* * *

"So Bolt," The cat and dog walked through the woods, following the same path he took the day before, "you used to always stay at the studio when you first started your show?"

"Yeah, well, when Penny first took me in, I stayed with her for a year since I was still just a pup. But eventually they kept me at the studio where I worked with a different human while growing up. They eventually isolated me from the real world and Penny. I only got to see her at the studio when we did recordings, which I thought we were undercover to save her father at the time." He stopped when he heard her giggling, but he soon started laughing himself. "Guess I was a pretty silly dog back then."

"Back then? You still are if you ask me," she teased.

"What about you, Mittens? I know you don't like to talk about your past much but… you must have some good memories?"

"Ah, well… Like you, I had a little girl who cared for me too. She found me on the streets and decided to take me home to care for me."

Bolt knew Mittens was sensitive to the past so he tried not to bring it up often, but he hoped she would be willing to talk about it by sharing his own past. "What was her name?"

"Alicia… She was very nice and I know she cared for me a lot. She would often let me sit in her lap while she sat at her desk." Memories of the little girl came rushing back and overwhelmed Mittens. Memories she had tried to forget to save her the pain of something she missed greatly.

"What happened?"

"Her mother…- Bolt watched her as painful memories suddenly showed in the cat's eyes, "her mother didn't like cats, but she put up with me for a while. Until…"

"They moved away?"

Mittens suddenly stopped with her eyes shut tightly. "They left me, without saying goodbye or anything."

Everything suddenly made sense, why she tried so hard to convince him to stay with her. She was trying to protect him, thinking Penny would be the same. And yet, he still left her so he could be with _his_ person again, for he knew Penny truly cared for him. It was selfish of him to leave without her. He should've tried harder to convince her to go home with him.

Mittens suddenly felt her head being lifted by the chin with one of his paws to look him in the eyes. He softly brushed the side of her head with his other paw.

"Mittens, Penny and her mom will never do that to you." He gave her a soft smile, "and I'll never leave you either."

The black cat rushed to hug the white shepherd and softly sobbed into his shoulder, but Bolt was glad. All the pain she kept hidden away after all these years was finally being released.

* * *

"This is it." The two arrived to the wooden bench which dangled and swung softly by the breeze from the lake. The sky glowed pink and yellow as the sun barely touched the horizon. The colors reflected off the lake and the waves shined as they slowly approached the shore.

"Bolt, its… its beautiful."

The two sat on the bench and watched the sun slowly disappear behind the horizon. The pink sky faded away while the dark night sky took over. One by one, the stars started appearing. Bolt felt mesmerized by the ever changing scenery. The two stayed quiet, and suddenly, Bolt understood why the two humans didn't talk much. There was something soothing with watching the sun set. He glanced over to Mittens, who was now gazing at the stars. And it was even better with someone else.

Suddenly the image of the two humans kissing flashed before him. His head felt warm and he shook the thought away. He couldn't, it wouldn't be right. But then he noticed Mittens give off a quick shiver as a crisp, cool breeze blew by, so he reached for her shoulder and pulled her closer to him. She suddenly rested her head onto his shoulder and reached her paw across his chest to cuddle closer to him.

"Bolt... you're so warm." She murmured. She looked up and felt her gaze locked into his deep brown eyes. Something about his eyes struck her and gave off an unknown, but warm feeling of happiness and comfort. She felt safe in his arms, knowing he wouldn't let go of her.

"Mittens, I…" he paused, unsure of what to say. Instead, he felt himself moving closer to Mittens. Something drew him in, but he didn't really know why and the same time, he didn't bother to question it. Drawn into his eyes, she moved in closer too.

And before they knew it, their lips touched with eyes closed.

So… this is what it's like.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Mittens?" Bolt peaked over his shoulder, only to find Mittens sound asleep on his back. He suddenly felt her arms softly embrace him around the neck as she purred happily in her sleep. He blushed to himself as he wasn't used to so much cuddling, even though he offered to carry her home.

He passed through the entrance of the park. It was late and the moon was nearly at its highest peak. The neighborhood was completely still and the eerie silence allowed him to hear his every paw step. Every house was dark and for a moment, he was concerned for his safety, but the quiet breathing from the cat on his back calmed him and eased his worries.

Many thoughts went through his mind as he struggled to remember everything that happened tonight. From their walk through the forest, to when they cuddled on the bench, to when their lips locked. Each memory replayed over and over and flashed before his eyes so quickly, he could barely remember himself what happened. Pretty soon, it became a blur to him the more he thought about it. The emotions he experienced tonight were unlike any other and he couldn't even describe what he felt exactly to himself.

There was something about Mittens that drew him to her, but he struggled to pinpoint what exactly. All he knew was that she was the source of all these strange, new feelings and there was something comforting about them. A warm, comforting feeling he enjoyed whenever he was around her. He always enjoyed her company and he cared deeply for her. He wanted her to be happy more than anything else, it made him happy too. And it made him wonder, was she happy being around him too? He was worried, was he falling in love with her?

He didn't need to remind himself of the obvious. Mittens was a cat and he was a dog. They could never be together because they were different. Was it wrong of him to have to have these feelings towards Mittens? A cat mating with a dog is unheard of and would be looked upon by others. He never really cared for how people thought of him, but he couldn't put Mittens through that kind of life. And yet, he also couldn't ignore the feelings he felt tonight. Real emotions that he wanted to experience again, but was he being selfish for his own happiness? He then realized he was jumping the gun a bit, for he didn't know if she even felt the same way towards him.

Either way, he wouldn't do that to Mittens, even if she was willing to. He felt stupid for letting his emotions get the best of him. He realized that tonight was a mistake. He should've never asked her out.

* * *

Mittens awoke to the soft patter of rain drops on the window above her. The warm blanket in her bed covered her body, but a faint and familiar scent lingered from the blanket. She then realized what it was as she slowly recalled the events of the night before. She felt tired so he offered to carry her. She also remembered burying her face into his thick, white fur behind his neck and inhaling the sweet scent that lingered from it. Was it… cologne? No, that just sounds silly. It's probably just the shampoo Penny uses.

She found the shepherd still sleeping in Penny's room. She examined his big paws, which were almost twice as big as her own. The way he brushed her face to wipe her tears away and how he embraced her with merely one paw. She had never felt so safe before in her life. And when they kissed… she wasn't sure herself why she did it. All she remembered was looking into his deep brown eyes that gave a warm, welcoming gaze. She smiled for she suddenly remembered how embarrassed he was after their kiss. The way he looked down at his paws and how he blushed brighter than a pink rose. There was something adorable about how shy he was, and yet, he was always so quick to comforting her when she didn't expect it. He even tucked her into bed. She moved closer to him to inhale his lovely scent once more.

Mittens never saw Bolt as more than just as a friend, but there was something special about last night that stirred up unknown feelings to her. Feelings that she never experienced before that suddenly kept resonating within her whenever she thought about him. She couldn't help but think if they could ever… well, obviously he was a dog and she was cat, but that didn't matter to her. Perhaps she was falling in love although she didn't know quite for sure yet, but there was one thing she did know. She knew she wanted Bolt in her life and she wanted to keep experiencing these warm feelings she felt around him. The thought of cuddling in his arms again made her heart race.

But the real question was; did Bolt feel the same way?

* * *

Bolt lay on the porch outside, watching the quiet sprinkling rain continue to fall from the roof that kept the porch dry. It was dark out now, so he could barely see past the animated wall of rain drops, but the two windows on the opposite sides of the front door left the porch in a dim lighting.

"Bolt, can we talk?" The cat approached him right as he rested his eyes, girls have the worst timing. But he opened his eyes and lifted his head to look at her.

"What's up, Mittens?" She padded closer to lie down across from him.

"I just wanted to thank you for last night. I had a lot of fun and…" She paused as he turned away to look outside the porch once again.

"Yeah, I had a lot of fun too," he admitted.

"I'd like to spend more time with you if-"

"Mittens…" He interrupted her and stood up to take a few steps to face away from her. "I don't think that's a good idea. We both know that."

"I know we're different Bolt, but I don't care if we are."

"It's not about that!" He snapped to her. She stood up defensively and felt her eyes tear up. She had never seen Bolt so angry before and it hurt her to see him like this.

"I don't understand, Bolt," she choked up as she tried not to cry, "Why else would you ask me out in the first place?" She raised her voice out of anger, but Bolt stayed quiet.

"Tell me!" She yelled even louder. He finally turned his whole body to face her.

"I had to figure out my feelings for you!" He matched her volume and it was only then when they both realized how quiet it had become since the rain had stopped. He sighed and padded up to her to sit in front of her. He felt awful for making Mittens cry, and more importantly, for lying to her.

"And-?" She softly asked.

"I found out-" he murmured, "that I care about you too much."

She smiled for his honest reply and stood up to hug him around the neck. She felt his paws gently squeezing her closer to him.

"You said it yourself," he continued, "we are different, but because of that, who knows what would happen if others saw us together." He let go of her. "I can't risk letting anything happen to you because of my selfish desires. I'm not going to put you through that kind of life."

"I'm sorry, Mittens." He apologized before walking away.

"Bolt, wait." As soon as he turned to look at her, he was tackled to the ground with Mittens on top of him. She immediately kissed him before he could even say anything.

"You dumb dog," she whispered, "I already told you I don't care that we're different. If it means us against the world, then I wouldn't want to be with anyone else, Bolt." They kissed some more, and even started to make out. "I don't care what happens to me, as long as I get be with you."

Bolt tried resisting, but the instant touch of the cat's lips quickly seduced him. Damn this cat, she's good. She started to pull away, but he wrapped one paw behind her head to keep her close to him while she gripped his scruff tightly. He suddenly felt a deep feeling of pleasure course through his body as they continued to make out.

"Wait, Mittens stop…" he panted heavily, "you're making me…"

"Good," she interrupted him, "let it."

Bolt realized the intentions of the cat and no longer tried to resist her. He accepted her love in exchange for his own.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"Excuse me, Mr. Bolt?" Bolt and Penny had just arrived at the studio, but he was approached by another dog. She was a German shepherd like he was, except brown with a black patch of fur on her back.

"Hey there, what's your name?" He greeted.

"My name's Zoey. I'm sorry to bother you, but I just wanted to tell you how much my younger brother loves you. He thinks you're the coolest dog ever."

"Aw, how sweet," he chuckled. "Is he with you?"

She shook her head. "Unfortunately no, I went to find some food for us, but I just happened to see you as I was passing by."

"You don't live with humans?"

"No. We've always lived on our own, but it's been hard ever since my brother…" her head dipped as her voice softened before finishing her thought.

"Tell me about him."

"He took care of me and my younger brother since we were separated from our parents. He protected us and always watched out for us. But one day… he passed away without any warning. That was six months ago." She took in a deep breath, trying her hardest not to cry, but she was caught off guard when she was suddenly embraced by Bolt's arms as he hugged her.

"It's been so hard," she continued, "especially for Tim. Tim didn't know our parents, so he was the only one he had to look up to. I still spend most of my nights wondering if there was anything we could have done to save him or something."

Bolt sympathized with Zoey. He never lost anyone close to him before. There was the time he was separated from Penny for a while, but that was only temporary. He thought about life without Penny, life without Mittens. He felt his heart turn numb just by the mere thought of it alone.

"I'm sorry, Zoey," he whispered before finally letting go, "I've never lost anyone close to me so I can only imagine your pain." He gave her a soft grin. "You're strong Zoey, you have to be for your little brother and I'm sure your older brother would be proud of you."

Zoey nodded and smiled for the first time. "You're right," she wiped away her tears with her paw, "he would hate to see me crying like this. Thank you."

Bolt gave her a wink. "By the way… Is there any chance I can meet your little brother?"

* * *

Mittens was startled when she suddenly felt Bolt hug her from behind. "Hey Bolt," she laughed, "I didn't hear you get home."

But the dog didn't say anything, he just held onto her tightly. "Bolt?"

"I'm sorry," he murmured softly, "I just... need a hug tonight."

Mittens turned around to face him. Something was off tonight. His eyes looked weary with faded circles under his eyes. She hugged him back and she felt his big paws softly rub her back and suddenly, she felt like something was wrong, but he spoke again before she could ask.

"Mittens, I care about you a lot." The sudden confession from the dog melted her heart and she couldn't help but smile. He's told her this many times already, but she never got tired of hearing it.

"More than anything in the world," he continued. She listened quietly, enjoying the moment, wishing it could last forever. "Please don't ever let go."

"I don't see why we would ever have to," she finally replied. "As long as you never let go either."

He let out a soft sigh of relief. "That makes me happy."

The idea of living without Mittens in his life was unbearable. He would have no one to talk to, no one to hug, no one to care for. He tried suppressing the thought all day while at work, but when he got home, the possibility hit him hard. Of course, he would never cry in front of her though. He sent a silent thank you to Zoey, for reminding him to never take the ones you love for granted.

Mittens was still slightly concerned though. "Is everything alright, Bolt?"

Because you never know when you could lose them.

"Just perfect."

He gave her a quick kiss before finally letting go. "Hey, I want you to meet some new friends I met."

* * *

Bolt and Mittens traveled through the city to reach a local junk yard on the outskirts of the city. It wasn't too far from the studio he worked at. It made him wonder how he didn't meet Zoey sooner.

"I had forgotten what it's like to live out on the streets," Mittens murmured.

"Do you miss it?" He asked.

"Sometimes," she answered truthfully, "but I really like what I have now; a home," she turned to him, "and someone to share it with." He smiled and they continued into the yard.

It was similar to the one he and Mittens had stayed at for a while, back when they were still traveling home. There were fewer cars, probably because fewer humans drove in LA, and there were more furniture and old appliances, mostly torn up or broken. Piles of junk that looked like small hills were scattered throughout the place. Bolt kept an eye out for Zoey, but didn't see her.

"Zoey?" he called out. Just then they heard a rustle of metal cans by a ragged blanket that hung between two taller piles of appliances. The female shepherd poked her head from under the blanket to greet them.

"Hey Bolt!" She padded outside and approached them. A tiny pup followed closely behind her, at least until he saw Bolt. He instantly charged forward in front of Zoey to look at Bolt. He examined his fur and spotted the lightning bolt on his flank.

"I-it's you! Are you really Bolt?" he asked eagerly. Bolt looked down at the pup and grinned.

"The one and only." He proudly said, puffing out his chest a bit. Mittens rolled her eyes and slapped the back of his head.

"Ow, what was that for?"

"I thought you didn't feel any pain, _Superdog_," she teased him. The little dog and Zoey just laughed.

"So who's your friend, Bolt?"

"Oh, I forgot to introduce you guys. Maybe if a certain evil _cat_ didn't hit me." He muttered quietly, but loud enough for Mittens to hear while still rubbing the bump on the back of his head. Being the evil gal she was, Mittens just smiled smugly. Bolt chuckled to himself, "This is my girlfriend, Mittens."

"Girlfriend? But cats and dogs can't be together!" The little pup wailed. Mittens actually flinched at the pup's remark, but Zoey was quick to silence the pup.

"Tim! Hush! That's rude to say. Where are your manners?"

"I-I'm sorry." The tiny dog stammered while looking down at his own paws, ashamed of himself. Bolt went up to him to pat him on the head.

"Hey, don't worry about it." Bolt tried to comfort him, but he still seemed down after being scolded by his older sister. "So, your name's Tim?" He looked up to him to nod.

"You know I could use your help with a mission I'm on." Bolt crouched to meet the tiny dog's eye level and whispered. "How would you like to be my new sidekick?"

Tim's eyes lit up. "Wow, really?!"

"But I have to warn you, the road will be tough. Danger at every turn!" Bolt's eyes narrowed as he crept even closer to Tim's face.

"I'm not scared!" Tim insisted. Bolt smirked at the kid's spunk.

"Good, let's roll then." And with that, the two ran across the clearing with Bolt in the lead. The two hid behind one of the pillars of old appliances while Bolt debriefed him quickly of his so called 'mission'.

"I've been told this place has had suspicious activity lately. I need to check the place out and make sure nothing is going on. But I need your help. I don't know what's in here and you're smaller so you can help me scout ahead safely."

Mittens watched the two in their own little world. Tim was so excited he could barely even stand still and she couldn't help but admire his admiration for Bolt. She found herself staring at Bolt, kind of mesmerized as he happily played with the little guy. She had never seen this side of Bolt before, willing to go out of his way just to spend time with a little kid who was a big fan of his show, and how easily he was able to cheer him up. She thought she knew everything about Bolt already, but it made her happy to see him like this.

"I haven't seen Tim so happy like this in so long," Zoey padded next to Mittens to watch the two heroes off on their adventure with her. "Ever since our brother died, it's been so rough for Tim."

"He must have been close to Tim." The brown shepherd nodded.

"He cared for both of us a lot. He always put us before himself."

"I bet you miss him." Mittens turned to the Zoey, but she just smiled as she watched her gleeful little brother playing with his idol.

_"__Did you find anything Tim?" Bolt called out from behind._

_"__I did! Look! Tennis balls!"_

_"__A dog's best friend! Awesome work Superpup."_

"You're really lucky." Her trance broken by Zoey's words, unsure of what she meant at first, "he's really something special. He's so kind and amazing with Tim."

Mittens looked over to her mate once again. This time with Tim on his back, running aimlessly around the yard 'at super speed', no doubt. But Bolt wasn't paying attention and ended up tripping on an old lamp, sending Tim flying forward as they both face planted into the ground. Tim was slower to recover. Bolt rushed to check on him, but they just both laughed at his clumsiness. Mittens and Zoey giggled among themselves too.

"Yeah," Mittens murmured, "he is."

She felt like the luckiest girl in the world.


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Update:

It's been forever since an update on this! I think the last chapter I wrote was way back in December so it's been like seven months since then. I would be surprised if I still even have any active fans still around. I know I posted an update back in March saying there might be an update soon but that obviously didn't happen. I ran into a pretty bad writer's block and I still can't really promise any reliable updates after this, but hopefully it won't take so long for another update again. I also went back and did some minor changes in the first chapters that were bothering me. Sorry again for such a long break, I'm still alive and hoping to finish this story eventually.

* * *

Chapter 5

Tim ran ahead of Bolt. He was starting to feel worn out by the little rascal as he continued to zoom around the yard. He was about to follow until he heard Zoey and Mittens murmuring to themselves. Curious, Bolt snuck behind a worn out and old sofa to listen in on their conversation.

"Doesn't it bother you?" Zoey asked while Bolt's ears twitched with an uneasy feeling.

"What do you mean?" He heard Mittens ask back.

"That well… how you won't be able to have your own kits?" Bolt held his breath as his mate hesitated to answer.

"Yeah… I have thought about it." She admitted. Her sad tone sent guilt deep within his heart. He padded away, knowing Mittens would follow up with how she didn't care or how she was willing to give it up for him, or maybe she did care and it was something important to her after all. Either way, he felt like she was giving up more for him than he was for her and he felt horrible about it.

* * *

"Bolt? Are you okay?" Tim padded up to the lonely shepherd who was resting his head on one of his paws as he lied on the ground. Bolt glanced over to the little pup.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"But you look so sad."

Bolt chuckled softly, he was an actor and apparently he couldn't even lie to a puppy. "Well, you're pretty smart Tim. Yeah…I guess I am a little sad."

"How come?" The pup, who was now lying down next to him, looked at him curiously with his big puppy eyes. Bolt couldn't help but admire his curiosity and he suddenly felt a warm feeling of happiness while looking at the little dog. Is this how Mittens felt whenever he pulled the dog face on her? He proceeded to play along with the pup for a bit.

"Do you know where little puppies come from Tim?" He nodded his head.

"When a daddy dog really likes a mommy dog, the mommy dog can have puppies." His eyes lit up a little as he answered confidently.

"That's right. It works the same way with cats too." Bolt suddenly lost his train of thought as he struggled to think of how to explain the rest, but Tim interrupted before he could continue with his explanation.

"Do you like Mittens?" Bolt couldn't help but grin.

"Yeah, I do."

"Do you _really _like her?" Tim asked cheekily. This time Bolt laughed softly.

"Yeah, I really like her a lot."

"Are you sad because she'll have kittens and you want puppies?" Despite being so young, he was rather clever for his age and had quite the imagination. It surprised Bolt and amused him.

"No, that's not it exactly." Tim widened his eyes in confusion. Somehow, Bolt didn't have the heart to tell him the truth, but maybe it was because he hated admitting it. A dog and a cat can't have kits or pups. Bolt patted the top of Tim's head. "It's a little hard to explain, but you'll understand when you're older."

* * *

"Are you listening to me, Bolt?" The white shepherd walked alongside his mate quietly, staring at the ground ahead of him while his thoughts distracted him. The two were headed home after spending the day with their new friends.

"Of course I am."

"What was I talking about then?" He hesitated and it was obvious to her he wasn't really listening. She giggled and spoke again before he could even try to give an answer. "What are you thinking about?"

He was thinking about a lot of stuff. Stuff he wasn't really sure how to bring up with Mittens. The conversation he overheard earlier triggered some thoughts he had been trying to avoid asking Mittens, let alone himself. It was something that bothered them both, but he really wasn't sure what to do about it.

"You." He replied, still looking at the ground ahead of him.

"What about me are you thinking about though?" She rushed up ahead to jump on a short stone wall along the sidewalk. He slowed his own pace as he carefully thought of an answer.

"What I can give you, but also what I can't." Mittens stopped suddenly in her tracks on the wall. She grew slightly suspicious and started to wonder, but she jumped down and waited for him, only to notice him keeping his distance from her as if she was a stranger.

"Well, what can you give me?" Some clouds passed by and hid the moonlight from the city. The city went silent, as if the darkness itself was blocking out all other sound. She suddenly felt cold and alone and wasn't even sure if Bolt was still behind her. "Bolt?"

"Don't worry, I'm here." he whispered in her ear, which startled her, "I can always be here for you, anytime, anywhere. I can talk with you. I can carry you when you're tired. I can protect you." He wrapped his arms around her from behind and hugged her tightly. "And I can give you hugs too."

She smiled while resting her own arms on the ones that embraced her. She couldn't see much in the dark, but she could see his white fur. Knowing he was there with her, she no longer felt lonely and trusted him to protect her. Every time he hugged her, she felt warmer not only under fur, but also in her head.

"I like all of those things." She murmured.

"But… there are also some things I can't give you Mittens. I'm not a cat, and I can't give you kits." It was then when Mittens realized why Bolt was acting so strange tonight. "So if those things are important to you, I need you to tell me so you can be happy."

_So you can be happy. _She repeated his words._ He can't change either of those no matter how much he wanted to so he would leave her so someone else could make her happy._

"I would be lying if I said those weren't important to me, Bolt," he let go of her, but she continued to hold tightly to one of his arms, "but the things you _can _give me, no one else can."

She rested her head on his arm and he brought her in close to his chest with both arms. She could hear his heart faintly beating fast.

"I love you, Mittens."

It was the first time he told her because for the first time, he was sure of it. And he meant it more than anything in the world. He can't give her everything, but he was going to give everything he can.

"I love you too, Bolt."

She wouldn't want it any other way or with anyone else.


End file.
